


Skins of the Sea

by botgal



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Humanstuck, In that most of the characters are humans, Merpeople, Merstuck, Multi, also a mix of a few other mythical creatures, or at least human ish, selkie like merpeople, sort of, there will be some variety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-08-31 12:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8578894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/botgal/pseuds/botgal
Summary: Eridan Ampora, adopted into the family of the retired Captain Dualscar, has a secret which has been kept by his father and his brother Cronus ever since he washed upon the shores near their home. Were he to slip into his second skin, he would become a creature of the deep, free to roam if not for the injuries inflicted upon him before he was found by his family.Now, as he comes toward a certain age, he finds himself torn between a longing for the sea, and a love of the only home he's ever truly known. As the threads of age-old stories twist and truths are revealed, the time to make that decision is fast approaching.Will he follow the wishes of his family and friends, and a certain girl with dreams of being a pirate, and stay on the land upon which he's been raised? Or will the call of the sea, and a beautiful girl of his kind, draw him back to the ocean's gentle embrace?





	1. Before the Storm

Cronus gazed out onto the not so far away beach from the entryway to the manor. Some might have questioned its location so near such a sheer drop to the ocean, but it had suited his father, Captain 'Dualscar' when it had been built. High enough to overlook the sea and the land on the other side of the cliff, and, when one knew how to traverse it, a relatively safe path down the rocks that led down toward the beach.

The thirteen year old narrowed his eyes and scratched at his head through his thick, dark hair; he could almost feel the humidity and oppressiveness of a storm rising in the evening air. His father had taught him the smells, tastes, and sensations of the ocean ever since he was a child, all things that Dualscar had used when he had been a captain in his younger days (though he did discourage his son from such a life of labor now that he claimed to have grown beyond his days of traversing the seas). So even with how much time he spent on land and inside, sensing out the ocean's moods was one of his strong points.

He stared hard down to the sand, flicked his brilliant violet-blue eyes toward the house a moment, then quietly slipped away from the porch and made his way toward the path down the beach.

“Cronus!” He froze up, cursing under his breath when he heard his father's voice. Damn, he'd been caught. He slowly turned around and saw his father's broad figure and stern expression through the open window. “Just what do you think you're doing out there, boy? It's getting dark, and you didn't even have the brains to try sneaking away with a coat. I won't have you catching your death out there tonight.”

“ _Dad,”_ Cronus groaned in return. “I was just going to see if there were any shells out on the beach. I didn't get to go earlier because of those stupid violin lessons and I don't want to wait until after the storm. They could be all crushed up if it gets too rough out there.”

“Well, perhaps your lessons wouldn't take so long if you actually applied some of those brains of yours into them. And I know you have some in there, no son of mine would be some empty headed dunce,” Dualscar replied firmly. Father and son stared each other down a moment, eyes never wavering from one another. At last, though, Dualscar sighed and tiredly rubbed his eyes. “I'll give you twenty minutes to go down and get back up here, and I'll expect you to be washed up and at the table for supper within the hour. Understand?”

“Alright, sir!” Cronus immediately grinned, forgetting the somber stare-down from a moment ago, and bolted down to the beach.

“And don't go so fast, boy! Else you'll crack your fool head open on the way down!” His son obviously heard his words, but didn't seem to care as he disappeared down the slope. The old captain let out a weary sigh and turned back into the house, preparing to go see how the servants were coming along with the evening meal.

 

–

 

When he next looked to the clock, Dualscar noted that it had been nearly half an hour since Cronus had gone down to the beach. Yet there was still no sign of his having returned yet. He would know if he had, the boy had no sense of being quiet and would usually announce his presence by banging around and shouting as soon as he entered the house. The old sailor sighed and glanced out the window toward where the sky was quickly darkening with the storm rolling in. Maybe he ought to send out a servant, then give his son a firm reprimand for staying out past what he'd promised.

This train of thought was broken when he heard the door slamming open.

“Dad! Dad!” Cronus's excited shouts immediately caught his attention, and he turned to look at his son with some confusion, which immediately turned to shock when he saw the state his child was in.

Cronus's clothes were rumpled, ripped up in some places. His eyes were panicked and he was waving his arms around like a landed fish. However, what mostly drew his attention was the fact that blood was dripping down his face from somewhere further up his head.

“My god, Cronus!” He dropped to his knees in front of his boy and pulled him in by his shoulder, pushing up his hair to look at the source of the blood. He whipped out his handkerchief and tried to dab at it. “What happened to you, boy? Did you fall? Hit your head?” He tried, but failed to get a good look at it, because his son was squirming and struggling to get out of his grasp and probing fingers.

“Dad! Stop it I'm fine! I-”

“Boy, you are not fine! You're bleeding like a stuck pig! And look at the state of your clothes! I thought you were collecting shells, how did you-”

“Dad, there's no time right now!” Dualscar hated being interrupted, but Cronus was adamant about getting the old man to listen to him. “Look! I was down at the beach, like I said, and I-”

“Cronus, I don't care about what sorts of shells you found, we need to take a look at your head! You're-”

“I saw a mermaid, dad!” Dualscar froze when his son interrupted him this time. They met their identically colored eyes, Cronus's full of determination, Dualscar's now holding confusion.

“... What?” He stared down his son.

“I was gathering shells, when I heard a noise behind a big rock. When I looked to see what it was, I saw a mermaid lying out on the ground. I tried to help it, but when I got close it got mad and scratched at me. It looked really hurt, dad, but it wouldn't let me close! I need your help, dad. It's not gonna be able to move on its own, and a storm's coming in!” Dualscar clenched his fists, considering his son's words, then stormed to the door.

“Heikel, take care of Cronus's head wound and get him washed up. I'm going out a few moments.” Cronus opened his mouth to protest, but faltered when he saw the look in his father's eyes. “You do as they say until I get back, boy. And don't let me hear any different.” He stormed toward the door, grabbing his cloak from the hook before disappearing down the hill as the sky darkened further. Cronus stared out after him, quiet, until he was ushered by the servant his father had directed toward the bathroom to get him taken care of.

–

Cronus had only just emerged from his bedroom, sporting clean clothes and a fresh bandage over his injury, when the door opened again. It had started raining since his father had been gone, and Dualscar entered dripping wet. His cloak was drawn about him tightly, but seemed a bit more stretched out than usual.

“Dad!” Cronus immediately went to him, looking at him eagerly. “The mermaid! What happened to it? Did you-”

“I've got it taken care of, Cronus,” Dualscar said softly. Cronus felt an odd stirring in his gut. The tone was familiar, but his father's expression under his hood wasn't one he was familiar with at all. He looked so... worn.

His attention was quickly drawn, though, by some movement and sound coming from under his father's cloak. Duslcar sighed and pushed back his hood, shifting the cape part away from his body as he looked down into his arms. Cronus gasped as he saw what he carried.

It was a boy, perhaps six or so years younger than him, by the look of him. His body seemed lithe, but unnaturally thin, and covered with wounds. His sides and arms bled heavily, and he was obviously unconscious. Quite unlike the writhing, panicked mer-creature Cronus had been injured by when he had attempted to help. And they were one and the same, he just knew. Their faces were the same, even if this unconscious body Dualscar held was human, not like the fish creature he'd seen.

“Father, how-”

“Go eat your dinner, Cronus. I'll join you in a moment.” The tone Dualscar used didn't leave any room to argue. He obviously wasn't in the mood. Cronus sighed, but nodded obediently. Somehow, he didn't think his usual brand of ostentatious stubbornness was going to be of much help at the moment. He turned to the dining room, where a servant held the door open for him.

Just before he got to the table, though, he turned and looked over his shoulder to where his father had removed his cloak and was heading toward another room. He just barely managed to catch a glimpse of something violet and shiny looking spilling over his father's free hand before the door was shut, leaving him alone with the servants and the meal.

 


	2. A Quiet Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A typical morning in the Ampora household. A brief moment of peace before the storm shows over the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter begins the real plot. For now, have some happy little Ampora family shenanigans before things start getting serious.

“Eri, you awake in there? Hey! Eridan! Time to get up, sleepyhead. It's just about time for breakfast.”

Eridan rather ungracefully snorted himself awake when he heard his brother's voice come in through the closed door. He sat up in the midst of a mass of upheaved blankets and his pillows, rubbing at his eyes as he yawned. The door opened as he was fixing his glasses onto his face, and he could see somewhat blearily as Cronus entered his room. Must have forgotten to lock the door the night before, he supposed.

“Hey there, squirt. Boy, you're looking gorgeous this morning, all that beauty sleep you got.” Eridan grunted with some irritation when Cronus leaned down and mussed up his already messy bedhead. His family was pretty touchy feely anyway, no real restraint when it came to physical gestures of affection, but it seemed somehow still that even Cronus was being a bit too overbearing at times.

“Ha ha, you've split open my sides for real, Cro,” Eridan yawned out what he hoped was a suitably snarky enough retort. His brother just grinned and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“Whatever, baby bro. Better get those sides hitched back together, dad's gonna be getting around to breakfast soon. So you best get your hindquarters in gear and get dressed, or else he's gonna be grumpy.” He gave his hair one last rumpling before he headed back out the door with his grin still plastered to his face. Eridan groaned and pulled himself out of bed, pushing aside the covers and the last remnants of his dreams from the night before.

He was very meticulous about how he dressed himself, since having been taken into the household six years prior. It was the only home he had any real recollection of at present, whatever had come before reserved for blurry memories and half-remembered dreams. It didn't much matter what it was like before, though.

Here, in this house, he was Eridan Ampora, son of former captain 'Dualscar' Ampora and younger brother to Cronus Ampora.

And now, he was ready to go to breakfast.

–

As usual, their morning meal was a somewhat quiet affair. All three of the males at the table were more focused on their food than anything else. Eridan tended to pick apart his food bit by bit and eat each thing individually. Dualscar focused on reading the morning mail and whatever the newspaper had printed as he alternated between sipping his tea and eating. And then there was Cronus, who threw all decorum out the window and decided that the most efficient way to eat was to shovel everything into his mouth as quickly as he could.

“Well, I'm done.” Cronus stood from the table and shoved his chair back in, food still stuffed into one cheek so that his words came out mushed and sounding more like 'wer, ib dub'. He swallowed it all down in what sounded like a somewhat painful 'gulp' and looked to their father. “Dad, I'm going to head into town today. Gonna' meet up with Kankri and Mituna to check on those jobs at the printers' down at the docks.”

Dualscar grunted without looking up from his paper. He still didn't approve of his son looking to take on such common work, especially when he already had the possibility of taking up his father's new business in overseeing trades and the papers revolving around said things. However, his oldest was determined to try it, and he wasn't ready to retire just yet.

“Fine. Just be back before it gets dark. And don't let me hear anything about you drinking while you're out.”

“Yessir.” Cronus stopped before he stepped away from the table, mussing Eridan's hair and kissing his head briefly before heading toward the door. Such affection was simply his way with his brother, though he'd long since outgrown showing Dualscar the same. He left them with a wave over his shoulder, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair as he went.

“And do me some good while you're out and check in at the book shop to see if those volumes I ordered are there yet.”

“Alright. Will do. Bye.” Cronus left with finality, a maid swooping in to clear away his dishes before returning to the kitchen with a swift sort of efficiency. Once she had exited the room again, it left Eridan alone with his father, the sounds of rustling papers and silverware against porcelain.

“So, son.” Eridan looked up mid-bite, chewing softly as his father spoke to him gruffly. “Sleep well? No odd dreams?”

“No sir,” he answered quietly as he speared another bite on the tines of his fork. “Just slept. Nothing more.” This was a lie, he did have some dreams from the night before, he knew. But he wasn't certain just what they were anyhow, so it was hardly worth mentioning.

“Good. Good... Studies going well, then? Your tutors have been praising your progress as of late.”

“Yes, I'm learning plenty. Mathematics are a bit dull.” Dualscar smirked and released a rumbling sort of grunt.

They tended to have small conversations like this after Cronus vacated the table to go off on his own adventures in whatsoever it was he did. Perhaps they were curt and might have seemed a bit awkward to an outside view, but they were nice. It was a simple time between them.

At last, Eridan set down his fork on his plate and stood from the table.

“Well, suppose I'd best get to it. I wanted to get some extra reading in before the tutor came for lessons.” He pushed in his chair neatly behind him, looking at Dualscar for his approval.

“Fine then. You go along with your business.”

Eridan nodded to him before making his way to the door that led out of the dining room, through which Cronus had vacated not so many minutes ago. Just as he was about to leave, though, Dualscar's voice stopped him.

“Eridan.” He paused with his hand on the doorway, looking back toward his father.

“Yes?”

Dualscar seemed hesitant, quietly pondering. At last, though, he lowered his paper and looked his son in the eyes, seeing the violet-blue reflecting back at him.

“... You have a good day.” Eridan blinked at him, but then smiled.

“Love you too, dad.” And then he was off.

 


	3. Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan has a normal meet up with his cheeky female friend, and a not so normal encounter with a strange girl in town.

The whispers of the waves lapping at the sand was always a soothing one for Eridan. Even as he just crouched at the seaside, poking at the little creatures in the tide pools, the sounds of the ocean calmed him as he focused in on the water. He enjoyed these quiet times once he was released from his studies. It was too cold this time of year for swimming, but even if it weren't, he likely wouldn't have been anyway (unlike Cronus who seemed to take to water like a fish). Just something about the water on his bare skin didn't sit right. Perhaps it wouldn't be quite so, if he had on his other skin... but that wasn't the case in point here. He was happy to just relax by the seaside, calm and content like this.

Or, at least he was, until he felt a hand on his back and his face dunked in the water.

He came up spluttering and spitting out salt with water in his eyes and laughter in his ears. Eridan wiped off his glasses briefly with the end of his scarf and slid them back on, turning to find none other than Vriska standing there. Grinning impishly at him.

“W-what the actual hell, V-Vris!?” Damn, there was that stutter of his. It always acted up when he was riled up. Not that it really mattered. She would have laughed at him even if he was speaking with the eloquence of a king.

“Ahh, man, you should have seen the look on your face,” Vriska snickered as she wiped a tear from under her eye. “Absolutely priceless.”

“Ha ha. Look how fuckin' hard I'm laughin' here. You're surely killing me with mirth,” Eridan deadpanned at her.

“Ah, don't be such a little baby. I got you good, admit it.” She leaned forward with that shit eating grin still plastered to her face. “Go oooooooon~ Admit it~”

“I ain't admitting nothing to you, Vris!” He had managed to even his voice, as he stared her right in the eye. She leaned down further, until their glasses were just about touching.

“Oh, aren't you?~” she sing-songed gently. “Well then... How about now?~” Her hand came swiftly and snatched the glasses right off of his face, drawing from him an indignant cry.

“Hey! Give those back!”

“Why don't you make me?~” His vision was blurry and made him dizzy without his glasses, but he was determined to get her to return his glasses. Those were expensive, after all. He leaped at her fuzzy silhouette, but she dodged him nimbly at every turn. More than once he landed face-first in the sand, before scrambling back up to go after her again.

“I mean it Vris, give them back!” he shouted.

“Can't make me if you can't catch me~”

Eridan growled with frustration as she once again nimbly dodged his hands. At last, all out of patience and desire to be tactful about it, he simply launched his whole body after her. Perhaps this move took her by surprise, because this one she didn't dodge. Instead, she went down into the sand with a thump as he landed on top of her.

“Now I've got you, you-” his triumph cut short as her body weight suddenly shifted, sending him tumbling to the side until he was the one beneath, and she had him pinned to the sand with her legs on either side of him and her hands clamped to his wrists.

“Now _I've_ got _you_ ,” she snickered right back. Eridan growled and struggled under her, but to no avail. Whether he liked it or not, she wasn't budging.

“Urgh, gerrof Vris, you're getting sand all over me,” he whined.

“Aww, what's wrong? The prissy little rich boy is afraid of a little sand?” The way she said it only made his blood boil all the more. How dare she! He opened his mouth to retort, but then she was suddenly much closer than he had remembered. She hung right over him, close enough that he and his nearsightedness were able to look at her better, and he flushed. They were nearly nose to nose, he could feel the warmth of her breath on his face. They both breathed heavy after all the exertion they'd just done, which only added to the pink dusting their young faces that were so close. Among other reasons, given she was right on top of him.

“Um, V-Vris? You're, uh, you're kind of right on top of me,” he murmured quietly.

“I know,” she breathed right back. “You got a problem with that?” She leaned down just a bit more, he could see the brilliant blue of her eyes right before his, and he could feel his heart quicken in his chest until he was certain she could feel it with how she was sitting.

And then she lunged and bit him right on the nose.

He jerked back and cried out, bringing his hands up to his face on instinct without considering that she had released him in order for him to be able to do so. He felt something drop onto his chest, soon realizing it was his glasses, and quickly snatched them up to slide them onto his nose.

“Ha, got you good~” He glared at her, now able to see through his lenses, and saw her smirking at him, already at the foot of the path away from the beach. “Sorry, don't have time to stick around, just stopped by to mess with you today. Later, Eridork~” She cackled mirthfully and absconded up the path, leaving him to press his head back into the sand and groan with frustration. He really hated that girl. With her haughty attitude, her blatant disregard for other people, her infuriating carefree actions, her mocking yet somehow enticing smirk, the way her hair flowed through the wind as she always skipped just out of reach...

The sound of moving sand drew his attention, and he turned to angle his glasses so he could see. Then groaned when he saw a familiar black rabbit sitting there.

“Please tell me you didn't just see all of that,” he groaned.

“Yeah. I did.” Where there was once a rabbit, a boy just about his age crouched beside him in the sand, resting his forearms on his knees. “That was pretty pathetic, you know what? She was dancing in circles around your bony ass.”

“I know, Kar, I know,” Eridan sighed. “Help me up, would you?” Karkat complied, but rolled his eyes as he did so. He offered out a hand, and when he was grabbed, helped pull his friend up to his feet as he stood up alongside him.”Thanks.”

“No problem.” Karkat, shorter than him, didn't bother to look up at him when he spoke, just looked in his general direction so his eyes ended up on his chest as Eridan patted himself down to get rid of the sand that was all over him.

“Thought your brother was always on your case about not turning into animals in the open,” Eridan commented while brushing off his sleeve.

“He is,” Karkat groaned. “But hey, what he doesn't know won't hurt him. I'm just doing what comes natural.” Or, at least what came natural to himself. Even if neither Karkat nor his older brother Kankri were of the human persuasion, they were of different types, so that didn't mean they always saw eye to eye. So, as a Puca, Eridan knew that Karkat felt he was entitled to do what felt natural and shift into an animal from time to time

Sure the intense allergy to iron that the brothersshared because of their fae heritage wasn't exactly an easy thing to deal with when the boys' adoptive family were a pastor and his wife, and thus had to avoid the iron-gated churchyard and cemetery. But they made do. It was mainly because of this allergy that Eridan had even met Karkat. With Eridan sharing from his own fae-type heritage that need to avoid iron objects, he hadn't been able to attend services either. But things were easier now that Kankri was in charge of a bible school outside the church grounds they attended with the other children from nearby. (Not necessarily pleasant, given it was Kankri teaching, but easier.)

“So, you want to head down to town with me? I think Kankri and Cronus should be done with whatever they're doing soon. Could meet them on their way home.” Karkat pointed to the road they would be taking were they to head towards town. Eridan pondered a minute as he patted the last of the sand from himself, but then nodded.

“Sure, Kar. Why not.”

–

“Eridan!” As soon as Cronus spotted his younger brother, he immediately grabbed hold of him and pulled him into a noogie. Even with Eridan's strength being deceptively more than his wiry frame appeared, he still couldn't shake loose. Cronus was as broad as Eridan was lean, likely from both Dualscar's genes and the physical activity he engaged in when out and about like he had been today.

“Urgh! Cro! Let go of me!” Eridan squirmed to escape his brother's grasp, thrashing and whining in protest to Cronus's iron grasp. Karkat was being subjected to a similar display of brotherly affection from Kankri, though in his came in the form of a long winded greeting that sounded more sermon than anything else. In Kankri's brief pauses to breathe, Karkat managed to convey to Mituna that Sollux was absent from their greeting party due to being needed at the Captor home. Mituna didn't seem to mind his brother's absence, though, he was content with the two of them being there, being they were his brother's friends, and his friends' brothers.

“It's getting kind of dark out,” Karkat said loudly as last, cutting through his brother's overly long lecture. “Why don't we start heading home? Dinner's gonna be soon if we don't hurry.”

“Yeah, guess you're right, kid.” Cronus at last let Eridan go, leaving Eridan to grumble and fussily straighten out his scarf and glasses after the bout of manhandling. “Come on, Eri, let's get a move on.”

“Right, whatever,” Eridan grunted. The small group made their way through the streets, still fairly full of people who were on their own way to their destinations. Eridan was still pulling at his scarf to get the part of it that had been forced under his collar unstuck.

Then he glanced over his shoulder, and it felt like the whole world stood still for just a moment.

Right there, passing him by on the street, a girl was striding on. And her eyes were looking right at him, and their gazes just met. A brief flash of near-violet meeting a shocking, unnatural fuschia pink. He just felt like his heart stood still. He certainly did, his feet stopped mid-step and he turned his head further to gaze over his shoulder, just barely catching a glimpse of midnight-dark hair before she left his line of sight.

He turned right around to look at the street behind him, still feeling his breath caught in his throat, but she was suddenly nowhere in sight. It was like she was there in that moment, and then vanished without a trace the next. His eyes were wide as saucers behind his glasses, blinking slowly and just absolutely stupefied.

“Hey! Eridan! The hell are you doing back there?” The sound of Karkat's gruff voice seemed to break his trance, and he looked back only to find that his brother and friends had gotten quite a ways ahead of him. “You coming or what?”

“I... yeah, coming, Kar.” He stepped briskly to catch up with them, still feeling something of a sense of breathlessness within him.

“What's wrong, Eri?” Cronus looked him over with a concerned gaze. “Look like you've just seen a ghost, little brother.”

“I didn't see a ghost, Cro,” Eridan responded indignantly. “I just, you see... There was this girl, and-”

“Ahh, a girl, eh?~” Oh no. Why did he mention a girl. “Well why didn't you say so, did I interrupt my little brother in his first steamy escapade in trying to woo a lady's heart? And before I've even had the chance to give you some of my famous pointers.”

“Oh my god, Cro, shut up!” Eridan groaned. He covered up his ears with his palms to try to block out what his brother was spouting as they continued on their way home. Cronus just went on and on trying to tease him, egging him on and trying to get him to open up about the girl he'd seen. He did his best to ignore his brother, but the thought of the girl was far less simple to erase from his head...

–

_It was a familiar scene in his dreams, though his waking self had no knowledge of it. He slid through the clear, shimmering depths of the ocean, surrounded by cool blue on all sides. It felt lighter than air, more free than he could ever recall. No glasses to aid his blurred vision, no scarf to cover the scars over his neck. The water flowed past and through him, letting him swim further and deeper than any human would ever be able to. His second skin snugly around his body and letting him become his fae self, a simple selkie navigating the waters with a flick of the tail._

_He twirled through the depths, grinning with all that he could muster. Aiming towards a familiar place he knew of only in his dreams. A place which would lead him to-_

–

Eridan jolted awake with two things apparent to him, even through his sleep-addled mind.

One, something was on top of him, keeping him from moving.

Two, something was over his mouth, and he couldn't make a sound.

Goodness knows he tried, letting out some weak grunts and squirming instinctively to try and get away, but whatever it was that had him, had him good. He stared straight up into the darkness of his eyes, half terrified at this situation he found himself awoken to. What was going on? He could feel someone holding him down, not just something. Had he awoken in the midst of being targeted by a succubus? This was as best as his mind could reason, given the tales of them in the village and all he could fathom of his current situation.

A chill went through him further on this train of thought as he felt his night shirt being shifted, exposing his skin all the way up to his ribs to the cool night air. He grunted again, trying harder to shake his assailant loose. Even as he resisted, he could still feel his shirt being moved at the neck, his head being turned by whatever held his mouth. Just as he was coming on the cusp of hyperventilating in a panic, he heard a gasp right near his ear. It was sudden and high and... girlish?

“I knew it! I glubbing knew it~” His head was being turned back to how it had originally been, and he felt his mouth being released, though his whole face was immediately taken captive instead in return for the freedom to talk. He found himself rather speechless anyway, since even through the dark of the room, he could still see the stunning fuschia glow in the eyes that hung over him and sparkled with delight.

“I knew I was right! I just knew it! You _are_ a selkie!”

 


	4. Night Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan awakes in the night, finding himself face to face with a familiar stranger.

There were a number of things Eridan had come to expect in the short time he'd lived life. His father would be quiet and reserved, but warm and fair. Cronus would be an overbearing, overly affectionate and overprotective sibling. The sun and moon would rise at certain times of day. These things he had come to expect.

What he would not have ever expected, however, was to awaken in the middle of the night with his night-shirt half pulled off of him and some strange girl straddling his stomach while clamping shut his mouth and feeling over his skin with a hand as cold as water from the deep sea.

“Oh my goodness, I can't believe it~” Her voice came out excited and cheerful, though somewhat muted. “I thought I felt something when I saw you in town, but I half expected to be wrong. I mean, a selkie, living in a human family? Crazy right? But, here we are, and look at you! Asleep in a human bed and everything.” Her two now freed hands slid over his sides and throat, tracing the faint indentation lines that showed on him which would become gills were he to don his second skin (ignoring the more prominent lines of scars which crossed over those lines).

Honestly, even now that his mouth was free, he found himself rather unable to respond. Not many in their right minds in such a situation would be likely able to anyhow.

“So, what's your name anyhow?” He found her face in his again while she grinned at him. “Come on, I know you must have one.”

“I, um... Eridan,” he managed dazedly.

“Eridan, huh? That's a really nice name~ It's cute.” She giggled softly. Even with her still sitting on top of him, he managed to gather a few of his wits about him to rustle up a response.

“Um... thanks?” He spoke in a low tone as she did, though mostly out of his current half asleep state than anything. He managed to fumble for his glasses set on his bedside table so he could slide them on to see her more clearly, even in the darkness. “But, just... who are you, exactly? And what are you doing in my room?”

“Oh glub. That's right. I forgot to introduce myself.” She sat up straight, smiling sweetly. “My name is Feferi Peixes. Heiress of the northern seas, selkie of the most regal of bloodlines, and lover of sea creatures of all kinds~”

“Um, nice to meet you, I guess,” Eridan murmured. “But, um... would you maybe be able to get off of me, please? It's, um, kind of hard to breathe...”

“Glub glub! Sorry. I didn't think about that.” She slid off of him as he asked, settling herself so she was kneeling near the foot of his bed, her bright fuschia eyes nearly glowing in the faint moonlight through the curtains. Even in the darkness, he could make out the way her hair flowed out behind her in a long, smooth trail. “There. Better?”

“Yeah, a bit.” Eridan pushed the covers off of himself and sat up, looking back at her now that he was more awake than before. “But, um, you still didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?”

“Well~” Feferi giggled softly. “I came to this town a few days ago because I've been traveling this stretch of the sea for a while. I was just heading back to the ocean to rest for the night when I saw you out in town, and you looked right back at me. I could just feel _something_ when I saw you, and I was right on the money!” She came forward quickly and pulled up his nightshirt again, feeling along his sides with her cold hands so suddenly it made him shiver. “You're a selkie through and through, I know these things~ Though I don't know what's up with these...” her palms against him had turned into thin, delicate fingers tracing along the faint scars that crisscrossed over his sides, and this time he felt that shiver turn into a full on shudder.

“Um, yeah, okay, I get it,” he said quickly, grabbing hold of her hands to get her to stop and moving them away from his person. “So, that's it, then? You broke into my room because you saw me in town? How did you even know where I was?”

“Oh, that's easy, Eridan. I followed you, silly~” The fact that she could say this so matter of factly was perhaps a bit offputting, but she didn't give him a chance to respond. “Since I didn't really know yet if you were really a selkie or whatever else, I decided I'd follow you back and see for myself. It was sooo long and boring waiting for everyone in this place to fall asleep, you have no idea.” She gave him a toothy grin, though he could hardly see it through the dim. “But it was worth it, now, to be in a bit house like this, meeting a selkie like you.”

“...What? Am I something special for a selkie or something?” Eridan asked, extremely confused.

“Well, just look at you.,” Feferi insisted. “You're a selkie, living with humans like this. I saw you eating with them, and now sleeping in one of their beds like one.”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I always eat with my father and brother,” Eridan responded softly. Feferi only seemed to be a bit more confused, until he added a quick, “adoptive”, and the smile returned in the dimness. It was with a faint flutter in his chest that he realized that her smiling face looked extremely cute on her. “I, w-well... they took me in a long w-while ago w-when I w-washed up on the shore near here...” Damn nervous stutter, why now of all times?

“I see,” Feferi mused softly. “So, do they know, then? About you being a selkie?”

“They do, yeah. I mean, w-we don't talk about it much, but I'm pretty sure my father keeps my skin in his study somew-where. Though not sure just w-where in there, don't hav-ve much reason to pop in there too often.” An incredulous expression crossed her face and her brow crinkled.

“You don't know where he's keeping your skin? Doesn't that mean he's keeping it from you?” Well now, of all the- No matter how nervous she was making him, he could pick up the hint of accusation in her tone, and he immediately tensed up. She could break into his room, grope him, and make him uncomfortable all she liked, but damn it all if he was going to let this girl insult his family.

“Well it's not like he's trying to trap me here,” he snipped back. “I've just never had to ask him for it, I don't go out in the water and swim. He'd give it back to me if I told him I wanted it.” His skinny chest puffed out, but she just giggled softly at him, despite the look of slight reservation on her face.

“Alright, if you say so,” she murmured. “But that's still so weird. You never go out into the ocean to swim? Not even a little?”

“Nope, never,” he answered curtly. He was still a bit tense after she had come so close to insulting Dualscar, though was relaxing again by degrees. She gasped loudly enough to make him tense up, glancing toward his bedroom door in case someone had heard her, but no sound seemed to come.

“You don't go out ever ever?” He shook his head, then jumped when she lunged forward and caught him by the shoulders. “Well then we need to fix that as soon as possible! I can't believe it, you poor thing. You must feel so deprived if you can't go out for a dip.” She came incredibly close to him, nearly nose to nose, and he flushed as he got an extreme close up to her brilliantly colored eyes. Made worse when she actually raised a hand and petted his cheek. “You come and meet me tomorrow afternoon. You and I are going to go for a swim and we'll get that taken care of in no time. We'll fix you up good.”

“I, uh...” he stared right back at her, taken aback by her insistent closeness and the sparkle in her eyes.

“But, for now, I guess it's getting kind of late, huh?” She pulled away just as suddenly, standing up so she could hop down lightly from his bed. “I'm getting kind of tired, guess you must be, too. We'll do some more talking when we take our swim tomorrow~” Eridan watched as Feferi skipped toward the window, brushing aside the curtains and hopping up onto the sill. She paused just a moment so she could turn, then smiled at him one last time in the moonlight. “Goodnight, Eridan. See you tomorrow~”

With that, she hopped off the edge of his window and out of sight, leaving his curtains fluttering in the late night breeze. Eridan stared after her, still wide eyed and stunned until he snapped himself out of it by shuddering from the chill. He forced himself out of bed and towards the window, feeling the night ocean breeze waft in through the opening.

He grabbed hold of the two edges, pausing to look around outside. No sign of her, as if she hadn't been there at all. Yet here he was, the night breeze wafting against his still pink face.

With a tired sigh, he shook his head, full of thoughts of the fuschia-eyed girl, and pulled the windows silently shut.

 


	5. False Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The swim doesn't go quite as planned, and a new plan is made.

Despite the... odd events of the night before, breakfast that morning was surprisingly normal. He'd woken up groggier than usual because he'd had a hard time falling back asleep after Feferi had appeared in his room in the night. Which meant he was nearly dipping his nose down into his oatmeal now. But aside from that, it was as if nothing was different at all.

“Hey Eridan, sweetie. You awake there?” He jerked up with a somewhat unelegant snort when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He found himself looking right into Cronus's face, eyes like their father's gazing into his with concern. “You look tired, little brother. You feeling alright?” He reached a hand over and pressed it to his forehead. “Hm, don't feel like you have a fever.”

“I'm fine, Cro,” Eridan protested as he batted his hand away. “Just a little tired. I had some trouble falling asleep last night.” He grumpily turned down to his breakfast, shoveling a spoonful of it into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

“Something bothering you that made falling asleep so difficult last night?” Eridan found himself caught in his father's gaze; he shifted nervously under the intensity of it.

“N-no... just kind of restless, I guess? I don't know.” He avoided looking back into his eyes, they were always so strong it was unnerving. At last Dualscar returned behind his paper once more, apparently satisfied in his silent appraisal of his youngest son.

“Well, if it keeps happening we'll just call upon a physician. See if he can't give you something to help you sleep properly.”

Eridan let out a quiet breath of relief that he hadn't realized he'd even been holding. Somehow, telling his father and brother that a girl who was a selkie like him had snuck in through his bedroom window last night didn't seem like a very suitable topic to bring up at the breakfast table. So he was glad that the subject was dropped before it came to him being forced to talk about that.

So, breakfast went on as usual, the three eating in relative silence before Cronus finished first and ducked out of the room. Dualscar muttering some typical fatherly warnings about his behavior before he could make it out the door. Leaving the two of them, as usual, alone at the table. The silence a bit more stifling this time due to the secret he could feel weighing down against his chest.

He didn't really know what to say this morning, but he felt like he had to break the silence somehow. Even though doing such was typically his father's role in their morning ritual.

“Uh-”

“Oh, that's right, Eridan, before I forget.” Eridan's mouth quickly snapped shut as any nerve he could manage to build up fled from him when his father spoke. Dualscar hadn't looked up from his paper and coffee to speak. “Your piano tutor sent word yesterday. So you'll be having no afternoon lessons for today.”

“Oh, um... okay. Thanks.” He shoveled another spoonful of oats into his mouth before his foot could do it first.

“Another thing, I haven't told your brother this yet. I'll be leaving for a couple of weeks to work out some business over in some of the southern ports. I leave in three days. Same rules as always. Your brother will be in charge of keeping things in order while I'm gone. You're to continue your lessons and do what you're told.”

“Aye, sir.” Eridan wasn't unfamiliar with his father being absent form the house for extended periods of time. It was a bit of the break throughout the household. The servants were able to be a bit more lax without the sharp eye of the former Captain glaring about intensely, and the brothers could go on a few adventures together and enjoy some more frivolous pursuits in their free time. So long as they had everything wound to the sharp spring of a freshly turned clock before he returned, of course. “Just like always.”

“Good lad. I'll be telling your brother when he gets back, so you just go about like you always do.”

“Yes sir.” Eridan quickly finished gulping down his meal and stood away from the table. A waiting maid quickly stepping from the edges of the dining room and retrieving his emptied dishes to whisk away to the kitchen. “Have a good day, dad.”

“You too, son.”

–

While it had been a bit of a surprise to the servants when he had asked for his bathing suit to be fetched, it was complied to without question. So he now wore it pulled against himself as he made his way down to the beach. It wasn't too chilly out, as it always had the potential to be, so it wasn't too terrible.

He glanced around briefly before seating himself down on a smooth rock near the water, pulling off his shoes to set them up beside himself. Feferi had never told him just _where_ to meet her. Just that he should meet her. Well, assuming they were indeed going for a swim, near the water seemed to be the best place to start.

It was actually not too bad a day, sitting there. If, for just a moment, he closed his eyes, he could almost hear a rhythm to the incoming tide. Slow, steady, but strong. Like the ever steady thrum of a heartbeat that built and waned as any living thing's did. It was almost... relaxing.

“Oh, there you are!” Eridan started when he heard the voice, whipping his head around only to come face to face with the very selkie girl he had been waiting for. Feferi was standing there smiling with her hands behind her back. Cream and pink dress fluttering gently in the sea breeze. “I was wondering when you'd get here. That sure is a funny looking outfit~”

“Uh... thanks?” It was just any old bathing suit, he didn't see what was so funny about it. “So... what then? You said we were going to swim?”

“That's right!”

“Okay, but... I really don't see the need.” Eridan looked out to the ocean, staring over the water thoughtfully. “I mean, I do know _how_ to swim, it's not like I haven't learned. It just feels... kind of uncomfortable I guess. I dunno, sea water just feels kind of... weird to me. So I don't go in the water often.” Unlike his brother, who apparently could swim better than a fish, if he was using himself as a landmarker in that respect.

“Well obviously that's because we need to get you out in the water properly. I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough.” Eridan sighed and turned to look at her.

“I don't really see how- What in the world are you doing?!” He quickly snapped his head back around, blushing madly and covering his eyes. Feferi had just been in the midst of casually tossing off her dress when he'd looked, leaving him utterly mortified. “Why are you taking your clothes off out here in the open?! In front of _me_?!”

“Oh calm down, silly. I'm just changing, jeez.”

“It's not _proper_! Do you always just do this willy nilly in front of any boy!?” He could hear her huff with annoyance.

“If you're really so concerned with me being looked at, then you can just look away until I'm done. It's silly anyway, being ashamed of seeing someone without their skin on. You've been hanging around land dwellers for too long.” There was the sound of a bit more rustling, and some sand being kicked around, before she spoke again. “Okay, I'm done. You can look now.”

Though a bit hesitant, Eridan turned his head, peeking at her through his fingers. What he saw made his drop his hands and took his breath away.

It was obviously Feferi who still sat there, but she looked so different. Where once had been legs, was now the tail of a fish, glimmering with bright pink scales in the sunlight; but it wasn't just that. The spaces between her fingers were connected with thin, pink-tinged filaments of webbing, her upper body seemed to become more compressed, still skin colored but with more smatterings of scales here and there and a distinct lack of anything besides a vague impression of the shape of her chest with little other definition or characteristics of breasts like one might expect to see on a woman. Even her face seemed to have changed. Her ears elongated like Karkat's when he got exceptionally emotional, pupils slit thin like a cat's, and even her teeth sharpened down to a shark's sharpness.

“So, what do you think?” She gazed up at him expectantly, flipping her tail to kick up some sand.

“W-wow... You look... wow.” Her giggle made him flush a bit in the cheeks. Feferi tilted his head at him.

“So, what about you now?”

“I... me?”

“Yeah, you know. Are you going to change for us to go swimming?”

“... I'm already wearing my bathing suit.” Feferi made a face, screwed up in confusion and disappointment in equal measure.

“No, not like that. Not in those silly human clothes. I thought we were going to swim together, like selkies. You're telling me you didn't bring your skin with you?” Eridan shook his head in response.

“No. I mean, I never even considered-” Feferi cut him off with a sigh.

“It's fine, Eridan, you don't have to explain.” Feferi brushed back a strand of her dark, long hair, looking slightly contemplative. “I should have probably guessed it would be this way. If you never go swimming, then you wouldn't ever use your skin to begin with.”

“Well I didn't really mean that I _never_ go swimming,” Eridan replied somewhat indignantly. “I mean, I've swim _sometimes_ , just not a lot, and in rivers and stuff. And I don't put on my, um... skin, like you do.”

“That's your problem then!” Feferi slapped her tail down, sending up a small spray of sand. “If you go swimming without your skin, it's not going to go well. You're meant to swim with it, after all. If we could just get it back for you from wherever the guy who's hiding it from you...”

“No one's hiding anything from me!” Eridan cried out, exasperated. “I know exactly where it is,” he thought he did at least, “I just... didn't think that this is what you meant.”

“Can't you get it, then?” Feferi asked, staring up at him.

“Well, I mean... probably not right now? My dad would get suspicious and all if I suddenly just started asking about it out of the blue.” Feferi's eyes narrowed, half thoughtful half suspicious, but Eridan put up his hands to try to wave off the look. “But, I mean... he's going away on business in a couple of days. I could probably get it then, and he wouldn't be around to know.” Couldn't be that much trouble, right? Dualscar never locked his study door, he trusted his sons to keep their noses out of where they weren't supposed to be without a good reason for it. Or at least he expected them to learn where not to be when he wasn't around. But if he was getting something that was his, he'd have a good reason for it, right? And he could always put it back before he found out. Easy.

At the very least this information seemed to placate Feferi.

“Alright then. You can get your skin back whenever he goes on business, then you bring it down to the beach and we can go swimming together then.”

“Alright... sure I guess?” This was all very jarring, but he found it hard to think of saying 'no' to her. And not just because she was a pretty girl. Because... well, human or selkie she was _very_ pretty. She just had a sort of... glow around her. Something compelling that he found himself wanting to follow. Whether this was a selkie thing he was unaware of or merely some great charisma of her own doing he had no idea.

“Great! You go home then, and make sure you get ready for when he's gone. I'll meet you here on the beach when you come back.”

“If you say so, then.” Eridan sighed and picked himself up, starting to make his way back up towards his home. He paused, however, and turned around. “Wait, but how are you going to know when-” By the time he turned, he stopped himself. The beach was completely empty. No sign of Feferi in sight. He glanced around a bit, lips pressed together thoughtfully, before he let out a long sigh and went back to his walking.

It seemed he'd have some preparing to do.

 


End file.
